I could have been Kelly Thomas.

Unstable.  Homeless.  Homeless not because my family was unwilling to care for me or give me a place to lay my head, but because my mind caused me to wander, to not always trust the people who loved and cared for me most, to live in a reality that ran contrary to the reality that most people know, to see and hear things.

I could have lived scared because of things not truly of my own making.  Misunderstood.  Seen unnecessarily as a threat by other.  Stigmatized against because of something invisible inside of me that impacted my life on a day-to-day basis.

It could have been you, too.

Oh sure, any of us could control those delusions and hallucinations to some extent with medication, but the side effects would also profoundly impact our lives, create tremors, pain, damage vital organs, cause weight gain.  The…